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Sunken oil tanker (1935-1942) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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![]() Quarter view of the SS R. P. Resor shortly after her launching | |
History | |
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Name | R. P. Resor |
Namesake | Reuben Perry Resor |
Owner |
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Operator |
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Port of registry | Wilmington, Delaware, United States |
Builder | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey |
Yard number | Hull No. 136 |
Laid down | January 1935 |
Launched | 30 November 1935 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. Resor |
Completed | February 1936[1] |
Identification |
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Fate | Sank under tow following attack |
General characteristics | |
Type | Bulk oil tanker |
Tonnage | |
Length | |
Beam | 66 ft 6 in (20.27 m) |
Draft | 34 ft 7 in (10.54 m) |
Depth | 34 ft 2 in (10.41 m) |
Installed power | 3,300 ihp |
Propulsion | 1 x Allis Chalmers Cross Compound steam turbine engine fed by 2 x Type D Foster Wheeler boilers and 4 x Todd burners |
Speed |
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Range | 9,760 miles (15,710 km) |
Boats & landing craft carried | 4 davit-launched lifeboats |
Capacity |
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Crew |
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Armament |
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SS R. P. Resor | |
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Location | |
Nearest land | Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey |
Depth range | ~60 feet |
Average visibility | Official: Poor Reported: ~30 feet |
Nearby sites |
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SS R. P. Resor[lower-alpha 1] was a steam bulk oil tanker built on speculation by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company and primarily operated by the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. For brief periods of time, the Standard Shipping Company and Largo Oil and Transport Company also oversaw the vessel. The ship was named after Reuben Resor, Jersey Standard's treasurer. The shipyard laid down the vessel in January 1935, launched her in November, and completed her in February of the following year. She transported oil between ports along the Eastern US seaboard and the Caribbean.
The launch of the Resor occurred when demand for petroleum was on the rise, which resurrected demand for new oil tankers and shipbuilders following a slump. The ship's construction is viewed as a turning point in the shipbuilding industry, as she was the first ship of the post-decline era. This allowed the vessel to incorporate new methods of naval architecture. Importantly, she helped to expedite the rebounding of the shipbuilding industry immediately before the Second World War. The ship's construction gained attention through its advertising and modern design, including new methods in shipbuilding, engineering, and construction. She was the first American ship to incorporate new hull shape, rudder form, and boiler design techniques. These design aspects made the Resor one of the most modern oil tankers when she was launched, as several technologies demonstrated onboard were later adopted by the greater shipbuilding and shipping industries.
The purchase of the Resor was the first ship in the enlargement of the company's merchant fleet, meant to counter European competition in the shipping industry. During the Second World War, the Resor was torpedoed and exploded off the coast of New Jersey by a German submarine. The resulting catastrophic explosion and fire attracted onlookers from shore, which brought the ship into the media spotlight. Only two of the 50 crew members were rescued as burning oil consumed the others. Following the attack, the ship remained afloat before the ship capsized off the coast of New Jersey while under tow. A large amount of oil was spilled during the sinking, however later investigations found that it had a negligible environmental impact. The wreck's accessible location has turned it into a popular diving and fishing spot after it was relocated.
The vessel had a lasting influence on the shipbuilding industry, as it stimulated a new wave of construction following the Great Depression and preceding World War II. Designs in the Resor were immediately incorporated or copied in nearly a dozen vessels, as shipping lines saw the successful service of the Resor as a prime time to order new ships. The ship has been referred to as jumpstarting the idle shipbuilders which allowed production to ramp up immediately before the start of World War II, when the importance of merchant oil tankers skyrocketed during the Battle of the Atlantic.